Introduced by Winchester in 1959, the 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) cartridge, more commonly called 22 Magnum, was designed to bridge the difference between the popular 22 LR rimfire cartridge and more powerful and expensive 22-caliber centerfire rounds. On the low end of the spectrum, the ubiquitous 22 LR can usually push a 30- to 40-grain bullet at 1000 to 1200 fps. On the opposite end, centerfire rounds ranging from the 22 Hornet to the 220 Swift can send 40- and 50-grain bullets anywhere from 2400 to 4000 fps. In between, the 22 WMR round will push a 30- to 40-grain bullet out at 1800 to 2100 fps. Then we ran the energy numbers and found out the diminutive 22 WMR could generate energy approximately equal to a decent 9mm Luger pistol round at those speeds. With newfound respect for the cartridge, we started shopping for rifles chambered in 22 Magnum.
